Republican legislators did everything but pull teeth to get Mike Walden to give a rosy picture about offshore drilling. Much to my surprise, he didn't.
Republicans on the committee pushed Walden to say the outlook could be brighter if it turns out North Carolina has more oil and natural gas than estimated. Rep. Trudy Wade of Greensboro cited North Dakota's low unemployment rate and high average salaries amid that state's oil boom, and asked Walden if the same thing couldn't happen here.
"I do not foresee that kind of economic boom in North Carolina," Walden replied.
On the other hand, Walden conceded Sen. Buck Newton's point that if the state has more natural gas offshore than expected, the job picture would improve by that amount. "That's fair, as a first cut," the professor said.
